Biden impeachment latest: GOP’s own witnesses contradict main claims in ‘disaster’ first hearing

Jacqueline Alemany of The Washington Post wrote on X that a senior Republican aide said that Chairman James Comer has lost control of the hearing, which is allowing Democrats to land attacks.

The aide notes that the “witnesses Comer selected have disputed House GOP arguments on the impeachment inquiry,” the reporter writes.

The aide also said that the hearing “has failed to attract mainstream media attention RE more damning evidence”.

“Comer and staff botched this bad,” a House Republican staffer told The Messenger.

The staffer said that the case put forward by the GOP has been “confusing” while the Democrats have been “on message”.

“How can you not be better prepared for this?” the staffer asked.

Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost highlighted the timeline of the impeachment inquiry and how Speaker Kevin McCarthy changed his mind on whether a vote was needed for the probe in less than two weeks.

He also noted that “Mr Turley is stopping here on the way to his next Fox News hit”.

A senior Republican aide told CNN that “picking witnesses that refute House Republicans arguments for impeachment is mind blowing. This is an unmitigated disaster”.

A Republican lawmaker complained about the party’s performance, saying “I wish we had more outbursts”.

Meanwhile, the House Judiciary panel wrote on X that “.@GOPoversight and @RepJamesComer are crushing it at this hearing”.

“Witnesses testify that we’ve passed the threshold of evidence to open the President Joe Biden impeachment inquiry,” they wrote. “Mountains of evidence showing Biden Family influence peddling.”

“Only the beginning,” they concluded.

Maxwell Frost tweeted on Thursday that he was interrupted by Chair James Comer during the first Biden impeachment hearing “because he knows I’m right. They say that this isn’t an impeachment, it’s an impeachment ‘inquiry’ to get answers. Then they call up witnesses that are just asking more questions and not providing any ANSWERS OR EVIDENCE. This hearing is very unserious”.

The Republicans on the panel refused to say if Donald Trump and Hunter Biden should be held accountable for any crimes they may have committed.

Rep Greg Casar of Texas asked: “Will members of the oversight committee raise their hands if you believe both Hunter and Trump should be held accountable for any of indictments if convicted?”

While the Democrats raised their hands, the Republicans remained still.

Democrat Jared Moskowitz of Florida mocked the Republicans for using the impeachment process as a form of political revenge.